Official Comcast CableCard Thread!

OK everybody, with all of the hassles described on this >230 page thread, my question is... if I'm going to switch to Comcast soon (I'd like to get it going before the Olympics so I can see it in HD), and I don't yet have a TivoHD (I have a S2). Do I go ahead and start my cable ASAP, and get the TivoHD (or hopefully a newer Tivo device) + the CableCard later? Or should I try to get it all at once?

OK everybody, with all of the hassles described on this >230 page thread, my question is... if I'm going to switch to Comcast soon (I'd like to get it going before the Olympics so I can see it in HD), and I don't yet have a TivoHD (I have a S2). Do I go ahead and start my cable ASAP, and get the TivoHD (or hopefully a newer Tivo device) + the CableCard later? Or should I try to get it all at once?

I'm in the Santa Cruz, CA area (Aptos).

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I'd want to have the TiVo HD unit(s) when Comcast comes to do the install.

OK everybody, with all of the hassles described on this >230 page thread, my question is... if I'm going to switch to Comcast soon (I'd like to get it going before the Olympics so I can see it in HD), and I don't yet have a TivoHD (I have a S2). Do I go ahead and start my cable ASAP, and get the TivoHD (or hopefully a newer Tivo device) + the CableCard later? Or should I try to get it all at once?

I'm in the Santa Cruz, CA area (Aptos).

Thanks,
SL

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Get started ASAP - FYI - you should not need a CableCard to get
either OTA HD or Basic HD channels. I get ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX
in HD from Comcast without a CableCard.

If you do want a CableCard for other Premium HD Channels - then
you do need a CableCard - AGAIN Get Started ASAP.

For those of you who have not read any of my previous post, I will bring you up to speed. Including today, I have had 5 cablecards, 4 techs and 3 tivo boxes. All this just to trying and recieve a picture. I mean, I could not watch any live tv when the cablecard was in the box.

Long story short: Ramone from the Comcast Nation Call Center arranged for a Tech to come over today. He also set up a conference call between the Comcast Head end and the DAC, while the Tech was at my house.

Turns out that every thing that the Tivo Techs were saying was true. The problem was a Comcast problem. Comcast was sending a hit that was never getting to my box. Now listen closely. There is good info in this forum. I read some where in this forum that Cablecards are 1 way devices. The card can not communicate back to Comcast to tell them that it ever recieved a Hit.

This was important to know because, the Comcast Techs kept saying that they could see that the Hit to the Cablecard was successful. Next, they would tell me the problem must be with Tivo. The Tech is really only telling me what the dispatcher is telling him on the phone. So why do the dispatcher say this to the Techs?

In short: After the Dispatcher sends a Hit to your card he or she will recieve a status of successful or an error code. The problem is the Dispatch and Techs misunderstand what this means. For example, when a Dispatcher send a hit to a card and gets back a status of successful this means that the transmission of the Hit was successful. It does not mean that your cablecard is saying that it successfully recieved the signal from the Hit. Why? Because the Cablecard is a 1 way device and it can not talk back.

A good example of this is something most of us do everyday. Text messaging. I have an Iphone. When I send a text, I see a status bar uploading the text and the phone makes a nice sound to indictate the the text was sent. Sometimes I get an error code. The one thing that I do not get is a response from my friends phone telling me that he or she recieve the Text (Hit). I could make the mistake of thinking my phone was telling me that my text message reach my friends phone. But what if my friends phone was off. He couldn't recieve a text until his phone was on. Yet, I still get the same success tone (code) from my Iphone.

I had a month of problems because the Comcast Dispatch and Tech kept reading the success code the wrong way. The code only meant that the Hit was successfully sent. The problem could have be elevated a long time ago.

They got my box going. I don't have HBO and all that crap. I use Nextflix. I have Basic and HD

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So, what did the Comcast tech DO/Tell the Dispatcher to get the Tivo working?

Get started ASAP - FYI - you should not need a CableCard to get
either OTA HD or Basic HD channels. I get ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX
in HD from Comcast without a CableCard.

If you do want a CableCard for other Premium HD Channels - then
you do need a CableCard - AGAIN Get Started ASAP.

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Thanks for yours and others' responses. I'm a bit confused. What exactly are Premium HD Channels? You mean anything but the usual broadcast stations - like ESPN, Syfy, CNN, etc? Or do you mean paid channels like HBO?

Sounds like getting the Tivo installed with the basic cable option (digital starter?) is fine. And then get the cable card later? Do I need a cable box without the CableCard?

Thanks for yours and others' responses. I'm a bit confused. What exactly are Premium HD Channels? You mean anything but the usual broadcast stations - like ESPN, Syfy, CNN, etc? Or do you mean paid channels like HBO?

Sounds like getting the Tivo installed with the basic cable option (digital starter?) is fine. And then get the cable card later? Do I need a cable box without the CableCard?

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It varies from MSO to MSO.

Bottom Line is usually - if you can receive the channel OEVR THE AIR,
then you can most likely receive it over the cable WITHOUT a CableCard.
Something like ESPN, etc - you can't receive OTA - therefore you will
need a CableCard. HBO, Starz, Showtime, are all EXTRA COST - period.

I'd want to have the TiVo HD unit(s) when Comcast comes to do the install.

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I'm in the same boat with wanting to get up and running by the Olympics (just got my HD Tivo), but am confused as Comcast told me I could go to my local outlet and get the card myself. Is this not the case? Do I go there and ask for one M-Cable card? Or is there anything else more specific I need to know. Thanks!

I'm in the same boat with wanting to get up and running by the Olympics (just got my HD Tivo), but am confused as Comcast told me I could go to my local outlet and get the card myself. Is this not the case? Do I go there and ask for one M-Cable card? Or is there anything else more specific I need to know. Thanks!

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Some Comcast areas let you pick up the cards and self-install. Some require a truck roll. Unfortunately, also don't be surprised if you go to pick them up and then they tell you it requires a truck roll. The CSRs don't necessarily know what they do, either.

But if that happens to you, make them at least do the install for free.

Bottom Line is usually - if you can receive the channel OEVR THE AIR,
then you can most likely receive it over the cable WITHOUT a CableCard.
Something like ESPN, etc - you can't receive OTA - therefore you will
need a CableCard. HBO, Starz, Showtime, are all EXTRA COST - period.

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Unless they're delivering it as an 8VSB signal over cable, which these days should be pretty rare, even if they let you get the over the air digital stations without a CableCARD, the TiVo has no way of doing any mapping of guide data to the correct QAM channel. You really still need the CableCARD, at least to utilize TiVo's scheduling/recording capabilities with those channels.

even if they let you get the over the air digital stations without a CableCARD, the TiVo has no way of doing any mapping of guide data to the correct QAM channel.

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I'm surprised to hear that. I have (1) TiVo with CableCard and (5) SONY
DVRs with (2) CableCards out ot (5).

The Sony DVRs DO GET the correct Mapping Data without any CableCard.
I'm very surprised that TiVo PAYING Subscribers do not get the right
mapping data. Why would TiVo care if there is a CableCard installed for
effectively FREE Channels.

The Sony DVRs DO GET the correct Mapping Data without any CableCard.
I'm very surprised that TiVo PAYING Subscribers do not get the right
mapping data. Why would TiVo care if there is a CableCard installed for
effectively FREE Channels.

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There's a 51 page thread that explains this situation in excruciating detail.

Some Comcast areas let you pick up the cards and self-install. Some require a truck roll. Unfortunately, also don't be surprised if you go to pick them up and then they tell you it requires a truck roll. The CSRs don't necessarily know what they do, either.

But if that happens to you, make them at least do the install for free.

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You were exactly right. Went to the outlet and was told it would need a truck roll. They come this afternoon, I hope everything works.

My mom has a series 2 TiVo and basic cable from Comcast in the Philadelphia area. She has a cable box to decode the digital channels. Recently, more channels have been converted to digital, so I had to change the settings on those channels from cable to box in the TiVo menu. The only problem with that is her ability to use both tuners, concurrently, is dwindling. One tuner is fed from the cable box and the other is fed from the cable. We were told by TiVo that her only option is to get a series 3 HD TiVo along with two cable cards from Comcast to fully utilize both tuners. This seems like overkill for basic cable.

My mom has a series 2 TiVo and basic cable from Comcast in the Philadelphia area. She has a cable box to decode the digital channels. Recently, more channels have been converted to digital, so I had to change the settings on those channels from cable to box in the TiVo menu. The only problem with that is her ability to use both tuners, concurrently, is dwindling. One tuner is fed from the cable box and the other is fed from the cable. We were told by TiVo that her only option is to get a series 3 HD TiVo along with two cable cards from Comcast to fully utilize both tuners. This seems like overkill for basic cable.

Does that sound correct? Are there any other alternatives?

thanks for your help

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You don't NEED (2) CableCards if you buy a NEW TiVo HD . You only
need one "M" card. The OLD series "3" needed (2) Cards.

drhankz is correct - you don't need 2 cable cards (a single M-card will do both tuners)

I thinnk the real question you are asking is how you can retain both tuners of capability. As the cablecos move more towards digital, the S2 will not be able to receive these channels on its own. You could get an additional DTA box or cable box (DTA = less-functional, smaller box, that works for basic cable). This DTA box can provide channels to the S2, and then you can continue to use the cable box as you normally do. In other words, you have two digital tuners (DTA + cable box) to get the job done.

Comcast, at least in my area (MA), is providing 1 cable box and 2 DTA boxes to people undergoing the digital transition for cable systems... I believe these are being provided for free. If you're undergoing the digital transition, you may be able to get these for free as well, from your cable company.